DUO Ultimate Everyday Ballpoint Pen and Stylus

The DUO Ultimate Everyday Ballpoint Pen and Stylus is a new Kickstarter project that launched today, and you can find the campaign page here. As you can tell from the product name, this is a pretty straight forward product, its a retractable (via twist mechanism) pen with a capacitive stylus at the top.

In order to give you some idea of the size of the DUO Ultimate Everyday Ballpoint Pen and Stylus, I’ve laid it on top of my Samsung Galazy S7 Edge. For those of you who need more scientific metrics to get your head around the size, it measures 5.25″ from tip to tip. The overall circumference is definitely a bit on the small side, so if you are used to big chunky pens, this isdefinitely at he other end of the spectrum.

The all metal body feels firm and sturdy in your hand, but also weighs in at a fairly light .52 oz. While I did really enjoy the smooth, sleek, and solid feel of the pen despite the light weight, I did struggle a little with the grip. The grip in terms of the amount of friction between my fingers and the surface of the pen was completely fine and I didn’t experience any slippage while writing. My issue was more with the smaller circumference which just doesn’t feel personally comfortable for me while writing, especially in longer writing sessions. This is definitely a personal preference, but for me and my average size man hands, it wasn’t ideal.

Sticking to the minimalist design, the DUO Ballpoint Pen and Stylus doesn’t have a clip, and only bears the small 529 Studio branding of a crescent moon. The version I have here for the review is a vibrant electric blue, but it is also available in black, copper orange, and gunmetal grey color. It takes standard 6mm Wacom stylus replacements to keep things simple and to make sure that this well constructed tool can last you a lifetime with minimal and easy servicing. The stylus worked flawlessly, never skipping and it doesn’t seem to be getting misshapen or terribly beaten up in my limited usage yet.

Inside the DUO Ultimate Everyday Ballpoint Pen and Stylus you will find a standard Cross pen refill. Normally not my go to pen refill, however as far as a standard ballpoint pen goes, the Cross brand produces a great quality and great writing refill. One of the reasons for opting for this refill in the pen was to avoid the need for any small parts like springs, spacers, or mechanisms you would find in a retractable pen. The concept being, less parts to lose is a good thing for your pen and stylus living a long and productive life. The DUO Ballpoint Pen and Stylus is definitely a well crafted great looking tool designed to last forever. Check out the freshly launched Kickstarter campaign for the DUO Stulys and Pen here.

Comments

Hmmm… This Kickstarter pen looks suspiciously like the cheap Chinese clones of the A.T. Cross Tech2 Ballpoint/Stylus pens I see from time-to-time out here in Asia, but sans-clip (no clip is a show stopper for me). The Tech2 clones, like the Duo Ultimate, look to be a bit thinner than the genuine Tech2 – more like the girth of a Cross Classic Century or (newer) Cross Click model. I own a genuine Chrome version of the Cross Tech2 and the weight and build quality is much better than the Chinese look-alikes. But having never seen the Duo Ultimate, I must reserve judgment on that pen.

The Genuine Cross Tech2 and the pen reviewed here are roughly the same price, and the Blue Cross Tech2 (P/N AT0652-6) looks to be almost the same color. One word of warning about the Cross Tech2: Avoid the Chrome version, it’s a beautiful pen but I find it way too slippery for anything but jotting down a quick note. The Black and Blue Tech2 versions have a less slippery matte finish.